Adapter for electric sockets.



I. H. GEORGE.

i ADAPTER FOR ELECTRIC SOCKETS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I5. i913.

nnw 1IL 9 1 0, 2

qw DI.

TAR

:RMI Nuth: i

mi I I I :L n. @noem or an nacre come f rron or ce i ik TIER' FOR ELEC@ SOCTS.

rieures,

peciucatton of Letters Patent.

ratentea aan@ au, raie.

application mea acatar it, una. g serial no. meer. i

ifo-all 'whom t may concern.'

lBe it known that l, JOHN lll. Grenen, a subject of the t. ng of Flngland, and a resident of Bridgeport, county of Fairiield', and State of Connecticut, have invented andimprovement in Adapters for Electric Sockets,

fof which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to adapters for electric sockets, and more especially to an adapter for adapting a socket 'of one type to a lamp of another type. Lighting systems for motor bicycles and motor cars are of two general "types, viz: the two-wire system and the single-wire system. lin the latter type, a single wire cable is' connected to one lamp terminal, while the other lamp terminal is groundedupon the metal traine of. the bicycle 'or car. The single-wire systern is a comparatively recent development, while the two-wire-system is the more generally employed. In connection with such systems, there is commonly employed a special type of lamp and socket, the latter being provided with a pair of bayonet slots and the lamp being provided with a pair o laterally projecting pins located in the slots. ln the so-called single-'wire system, a single spring-pressed pin forms one `conductorof the socket, and presses against a centrally disposed lamp terminal, and the socket member constitutes the other conductor, and receives the lamp-shell which forms the other terminal of the lamp.- ln

lthe two-wire system, the socket is provided with two spring-pressed pins constituting conductors, which press against two lamp terminals, both of which are insulated from the lamp-shell. the subject matter of this invention enables a lamp of either type to be used with a socket of the other type, bythe simple introduction of the adapter between the lamp terminal or terminals and the springpressed pin or pins of the socket.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following, specification,

when taken in connection. with the accom,-

panying drawings of onev specific embodi-V ment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. g

The adapter which forms inthe drawings: Figure 1 is a plan ot one .side ofnne form of adapter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the opposlte slde of the adapter; Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of the adapter as applied to a two-wire type of socket and a single-wire type of lamp; Fig. d is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectionalview similar to Fig. 3, showing the adapter as applied to a single-wire type of socket and a two-wire type of lamp.

Referring to the drawings, and to the specific adapter which ll have selected for illustrative purposes, ll have there shown an insulating plate, preferably in the form ot a disk 6, of fiber, rubber, or other suitable insulating material, to which two conductors 7 and 8 are secured. The conductor 7 has two Contact portions 9 and 10, located on opposite faces, respectively, of the insulating disk, the contact portion 9 being herein centrally located, while the contact portion 10 is disposed at one side of the center of the disk. rlhe conductor 7 may be secured to the insulating disk in any other appropriate manner, ut herein eX- tends through a hole 11 in the disk, and its contact portions extend from the hole toward the center of theV disk.

'llhe conductor 8 has a contact portion 12,

disposed onthe same side of the disk as the contact portion 10 of the other conductor' 7 .y rlhe conductor 8 may be secured to the disk in any other appropriate manner, but herein is provided with two tongues or prongs 13 and 13, bent so as to overlie the edge of the disk and the margin oi' its opposite face. The conductor is further provided with two tongues or prongs 14 and 14, bent so as to overlie the edge of the disk and the margin of its opposite face. Preferably, the tongues 13, 13 are disposed comparatively close together at one side of the center of the disk,

Att

means, but herein is provided with means comprising one or more lugs adapted to interengage with the socket. Herein, two such lugs, 15, 15, are employed, and are formed on rthe conductor 8 at diametrically opposite points, and arranged to engage the socket as described presently. I

The lamps and sockets shown in the drawings are commercial types, except that in the case of the socket, a slight modification is herein made, as hereinafter described. In Fig. 3, there is shown .a so-called two-wire type of socket 16, and a single-wire type of lamp 17, while in Fig. 5 there is shown a single-wire type of socket 18, and a two-wire type of lamp 19.

Referring to Fig. 3, the socket 16 contains two spring pressed pins 20 and 21, which, in practice, are connected to and form the terminals of two line wires leading to the source of current. The socket is provided length, i. e., beyond their offset portions as e with a pair of bayonet slots 22, 22. The lamp'17 is provided with a metallic shell 23 inserted in the socket and having a pair of laterally projecting pins 24, 24, extending into the bayonet slots 22, 22, respectively.

The adapter is simply introduced between the spring-pressed pins 20 and 21, anda terminal 25 on the end of the lamp, and in this way the spring-pressed pins are maintained in contact with the contact portions 10 and 12 of the conductors 7 and 8, and the springpressed pins serve to maintain the contact portion 9 of the conductor 7 in contact with the lamp terminal 25. The other terminal of the lamp is vformed by the metallic shell 23, which is in electrical contact with the socket tube. The conductor 8 is in electrical contact with the socket tube, as wellaswith the spring-pressed pin 21, and hence the connection from the pin is completed to the lampshell vby the socket. f

As before stated, the lugs 15, 15 project laterally into the bayonet slots 22, 22, and the latter are prolonged beyond their usual shown in Fig. 3, to accommodate the lugs, whereby the latter serve to hold the adapter against' rotation when the lamp is rotated. It will now be apparent that the springpressed pins still perform their usual func-v tions of holding the pins 24; firmly seated in the offset portions of the bayonet slots 22, but contact with the conductors lof the adapter, andthus cause the latter to complete the connection with a lamp of the'sinv gle-wire type.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the socket 18 is provided with a single spring-pressed pin 26, insulated from the socket tube and press ing against the contact portion 10 of the adapter, which latter, in this case, is inverted. Thelamp 19 is provided with terminals 27 and 28, which bear, respectively, against the contact portions 9 and`12. In

this case, also, the spring-pressed in performs its usual functions, but the a apter is simply interposed between the pin and the lamp terminals, and maintains the necessary electrical connection. It will be understood that,'in this case also, the conductor 8 is in contact adjacent' the edge of the disk with the metallic socket tube 18 forming a part of the circuit. In this form of socket, also,

there are provided the usual bayonet slots and pins, which it will be unnecessary to show or to describe, except to say that the slots will receive the lugs of the adapter as already described in connection with the previous example.

It must now be entirely clear that by the I tion and arrangement incidental to one speciic application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiment herein shown, but that extensive deviation from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made, without' departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to procure 1s:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an

ladapter for electric sockets having two conductors insulated from each other, said conductors having each a contact on one face of the adapter, each of said contacts being non-centrally located, one of said conductors having a contact en the opposite face of said adapter, the other conductor having also a contact adjacent the side of said adapter.

2. An adapter for electric sockets, comj prising, in combination, an insulating disk having a centrally-located insulating portion, and a pair of conductors one of which has a contact portion `centrally located on one face of the disk and another contact portion non-centrally located on the other face of said disk, and the other of which has a contact portion on one face only of said disk and another contact portion adjacent the edge of saidl disk.

3.- An adapter for electricsockets `comprising, in combination, an insulating disk, and a pair of conductors one of whlch extends through said disk at one side of the center of the latter and has a contact portion located centrally on one face of the disk and another contact portion non-centrally mamas located on the other face of said disk, and the other of which has a contact portion on one face only of said disk and another conface of said disk, the latter face having at its central portion insulating material interposed between the last-mentionedcontact portions.

5; An adapter for electric sockets comprising, in combination, an insulating disk, and a pair o'f conductors one of which has a centrally located contact ony one face of said disk and extends through said diskat one side ofthe center of the latter to the other face where it has another contact portion located entirely at one side of the center of the disk, the other conductor having a contact portion also on the latter face of said disk at one side of its center and another contact adjacent the edge of said disk.'

6. An adapter for electric sockets comprising. in combination, an insulating disk, and a pair of conductors one of which has ua centrally located contact on one face of said disk and extends through said disk to the other face where it has another contact portion at one side of the center of the disk, the other conductor having a Contact ortion also on the latter face of the dis at one side of its center, and prongs lapped over the margin of the disk.

7. An adapter for electric sockets comprising, in combination, an insulating disk, and a pair of conductors one of which has a centrally located contact on one face of said disk and extends through said disk to -4the other face where it has another contact portion at one side of the center of the disk, the other conductor having a contact portion also on the latter face of the disk at` one side of its center, and a plurality of prongs two of which are lapped over the margln of said disk adjacent substantially diametrically opposite points in its perimeter.

8. The combination with a socket member constituting a conductor havng a lampfreceiving opening, of an adapter comprising an insulating disk disposed within said opening, and two conductors one of which has contact portions on both faces of said disk and the other of which contacts with said socket member and has a contact portion on one face ofsaid disk. j

9. The combination with a socket member constituting a conductor having a lamp-receiving opening, of an adapter comprising an insulating disk vdisposed within said opening, two conductors one of which has contact portions on both faces of said disk and the other of which contacts with said socket member and has a contact portion on one face of said disk, and means to hold said disk against turning movement with relation to said socket.

10. rlhe combination with a socket memysaid socket member and has a contact portion on one face of said disk, one of said conductors having means interlocking with said socket to prevent said diskv audits con-l ductors from turning with relation to said socket member.

11. The combination with a socket member constituting a conductor having a lampreceivin opening, ,l of an adapter comprising'an insulating disk disposed within said opening, and two conductors one of which has contact portions on both faces of said disk and the other of which contacts with said socket member and has a contact portion on one face of said disk, one of said conductors being providedl with a lug projecting beyond the margin of said disk, said socket member being provided with a slot in which. said lug is disposed. i

in testimony whereof, li have signed my :name to this specification, in thep'resence of two subscribing witnesses. i

JOHN H. GlEURGE. Witnesses: ELLSWORTH A.. HAWTHORNE,

E. HORACE i 

